Carton and blank therefor



May 25, 1965 r J. w. FEENEY CARTON AND BLANK THEREFOR 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 23, 1962 INVENTOR. JOSEPH 144 Ema BY do (9 SuUBAmQ y 25, 1965- J. w. FEENEY 3,185,374 4 CARTON AND BLANK THEREFOR Filed May 23, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR JdJEPH H. Qzwe'y BY M6. $W.. 0

3,185,374 CARTON AND BLANK THEREFOR Joseph W. Feeney, Pikesville, Md., assignor to International Paper Company, New York, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed May 23, 1962, Ser. No. 197,065 1 Claim. (Cl. 229-17) This invention relates to cartons and more particularly to a folding carton having a pour spout.

It is a principal object of this invention to provide a paper or paperboard carton having a pour spout formed integrally as a part of the carton structure without detrimentally affecting its strength.

A further object is to provide a carton having a pour spout which may be easily opened for first use and then readily reclosed.

Further objects and advantages will appear from the following description and drawings:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a blank (partially broken away) from which the carton of the invention is made;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary perspective view showing the initial stages of folding the top parts of the carton of the invention;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view showing the completely closed carton of the invention;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary perspective view showing the carton of FIG. 3 with thepour spout open;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary perspective view showing a stage of reclosing the carton of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary perspective view showing the reclosed carton of FIG. 5; l

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary-plan view of a blank from which a first modification of the carton of the invention is made; i

FIG. 8 is a fragmentaryperspective view showing a carton formed from the blank of FIG. 7 with the spout open;

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary perspective view of the carton of FIG. 8 showing the spout closed;

FIG. 10 is a fragmentary plan view of a blank from which a second modification of the carton of the invention is made;

FIG. 11 is a fragmentary perspective view of a carton formed from the blank of FIG. 10 showing the spout open; and

FIG. 12 is a fragmentary perspective view showing a third modification of the carton of the invention in its reclosed position.

The carton 32, as shown in FIGURE 3, is formed from a one piece blank (FIG. 1) cut from suitable sheet material, preferably single ply paper or paperboard. It may also be constructed from heavier material depending on the requirements of the carton.

Carton blank 1 has horizontal fold lines 2, vertical fold lines 3 and slits 4 which generally define body parts including side panels 5, 6, 7 and 8 and a glue flap 9, bottom parts including first, second, third and fourth bottom closure flaps 10, 11, 12 and 13 and top parts including a top closure flap 14 and first, second and third top closure extensions 15, I16 and 1 7.

The first and third extensions and 17 are cut away, as indicated at 18, to provide vertical, horizontal and diagonal edges 19, 20 and 21 and have diagonal fold lines 22 which extend from the intersections of the horizontal and diagonal edges 20 and 21 to the intersections of the horizontal and vertical fold lines. Vertical lines of weakness, preferably in the form of lines of perforations 23, extend from the intersections of the vertical and horizontal edges :19 and 20 to points along the upper horizontal fold line 2. The lines of weakness 23 and the diagonal fold lines 22 divide the first and third extensions 1 United States Patent 0 15 and 17 into first, second and third sections 24, 25 and The second extension has a horizontal fold line 27 that divides it into a top closure section 28 and a locking flap 29.

p The second and third sections 25 and 26 of the first and third extensions 15 and 17 and the top section 28 and locking flap 29 of the second extension 16 form a spout member upon the erection of carton 32 from blank 1 which is generally designated 30.

To form the carton, the body parts are folded along the vertical fold lines 3 so that the side panels 5 and 7 areperpendicular to the side panels 6 and 8. The glue flap 9 is then folded perpendicular to side panel 5 and into abutting relation to the inner surface of side panel 8 to which it is secured by glue or staples thereby forming a manufacturers joint.

To close the bottom, the bottom parts are folded along the lower horizontal fold line 2, so that the second and fourth bottom flaps 11 and 13 are perpendicular to the side panels 6 and 8 and the first and third bottom flaps 10 and 12 are perpendicular to the side panels 5 and 7 with the flap 12 in overlapping relation to the outer surface of flap 10 to which it is secured by glue in a manner well known in the art.

The carton or container is then filled with its contents.

The top is closed by folding the top parts along the upper horizontal fold line 2. vThe top flap 14 is folded perpendicular to side panel 8 and then the first and third top extensions 15 and 17 are folded perpendicular to the side panels 5 and 7 with the first section 24 of the third extension 17 in overlapping relation to the outer surface of the first section 24 of the first extension 15 to which it is secured by glue.

Since the first sections 24 'of the first and third extensions are connected to the second sections25 along the lines of weakness 23, and the second sections 25 are connected to the third sections 26 by the diagonal fold lines 22, the folding of first sections 24, 24 folds the third sections 26 along the fold lines 22 and over parts of the second sections 25 as shown in FIG. 2. This enables the carton to be filled and sealed in more or less a conventional manner on automatic machinery.

The second extension 16 is then folded, so that it is perpendicular to the side panel 6 with the locking flap 29 in overlapping relation to the outer surface of the first section 24 of the third extension 17 to which it is secured by glue. A small area adjacent the edge 31 of the locking flap is left free of glue so that it can be readily grasped to open the carton.

This completes the formation of the carton, as shown in FIG. 3 and generally designated 32.

To open the carton, the unglued edge 31 of the locking flap 29 is grasped and pulled upwardly severing the glue bond under it. Continued pulling usually causes the lines of perforations 23 to break, thereby separating the first sections 24 from the second sections 25. If the upward pull is insuflicient to complete the separation, the person opening the carton can do this by exerting a slight tug on the second sections. Once the second sections are separated from the first sections, the pour spout 30 is readily snapped out to pouring position as shown in FIG. 4

It is also within the purview of this invention to replace the lines of perforations 23 with slits 41 as shown, for example, in FIG. 7, thereby eliminating the necessity for breaking the perforations on opening the carton.

To close the carton, the locking flap 29 is simply inserted down into the space between the first and second sections as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. This space is defined by the vertical edges 19 and the edges provided by tom lines of perforations 23.

A modification 33 of the carton is shown in FIGS. 7, 8 and 9. It is identical to the carton 32 except that the horizontal fold line 27 across the second extension 16 is replaced by horizontal lines of Weakness, preferably in the form of lines of perforations 34, and U-shaped cut 35, which form a locking tab 36. It will also be noted that the glue area extends to the edge 31 of the flap 29, in this modification.

To open the carton, tab 36 is grasped and pulled upwardly causing the lines of perforations 34 to break, thereby separating the locking tab 36 and the top section 28 from the flap 29 which remains glued in position on the first section 24 of the third extension 17 as shown in FIG. 8.

To close the carton, the locking tab 36 is pressed through the space provided by the edges of sections 24 and 25 and underneath the edge of the unopened portion of the carton top. In this position, the locking tab 36 underlies the first section 24 of the first extension 15, as shown in FIG. 9.

Another modification 37 of the carton is shown in FIGS. and 11. It is identical to the carton 33 except that the lines of weakness 34 are replaced by horizontal fold lines 38. A small area adjacent the edge 31 of the flap 29 is left free of glue so the carton can be opened in exactly the same manner as carton 32 is opened.

To close the carton, the flap 36 is tucked beneath the first section 24 of the first extension 15, in the same manner as shown in FIG. 9.

Still another modification 39 of the carton is shown in FIG. 12. It is identical to the carton 32 except that the second extension 16 is not provided with a horizontal fold line (in other words, fold line 27 of carton 32 is omitted in this modification) and the top section 24 of third extension 17 is provided with means forming a locking lip or tongue 40 which is adapted to lockingly engage the free edge of the second extension 16 when the carton is reclosed.

To close the carton, it is only necessary to press downwardly on the second extension 16 until its free edge is snapped in place under the lip 40.

What is claimed is:

In the utilization of a filled carton comprising body, bottom and top parts, said top parts including first, second and third top closure extensions, said carton having horizontal and vertical fold lines generally defining said body, bottom and top parts and hingedly connecting them to each other, each of said first and third extensions being cut away to provide vertical, horizontal and diagonal edges and having a vertical line of weakness broken to define other vertical edges extending from intersections of said vertical and horizontal edges to points along one of said horizontal fold lines and a diagonal fold line extending from intersections of said horizontal and diagonal edges to intersections of said horizontal and vertical fold lines, said second extension having a horizontal fold line extending thereacross and defining a top closure section and a locking fiap, said top parts being folded substantially perpendicular to said body parts, with said parts of said third extension in overlapping relation with said parts of said first extension and with said locking flap of said second extension in overlapping relation and abutting contact with outer parts of said third extension, the reclosing of the carton by the steps of folding the other parts of said third and first extensions along said diagonal fold lines to provide a bellows fold, folding said second extension perpendicular to one of said side walls and tucking said locking flap into the space defined by said vertical edges and said other vertical edges and perpendicular to said vertical edges and said other vertical edges.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,956,238 4/34 Jackson 22917 2,064,029 12/36 Murray 229-17 2,151,202 3/39 Guyer 229-17 2,233,488 3/41 Powell 229-17 2,928,579 3/ Graybill 229-17 3,059,826 10/62 Harms 229-17 FRANKLIN T. GARRETT, Primary Examiner.

EARLE J. DRUMMOND, Examiner. 

